It was a lofty goal: Japanese-American school teacher Soichi Sakamoto, who knew nothing about swimming or coaching, decided to create an Olympic swimming team from among the poor children of a segregated Hawaiian sugar plantation. Lacking a pool, they were to practice in the filthy irrigation ditches of the plantation. But it was 1937, and war intervened: the 1940 Games were canceled. Then so too were the 1944 Games. But finally, in 1948, members from his team were able to compete.

Rock historian and author Peter Guralnick is known for extensive biographies on Elvis Presley (among other music greats), and he's now given the same treatment to his friend, legendary record producer Sam Phillips. Lauded for discovering Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash, Phillips was also a force behind B.B. King and Ike Turner, brought African American music to white audiences, and created the iconic Sun Records.

Write what you know, the saying goes, and former stand-up comedian Kliph Nesteroff has done exactly that with this history of American comedy. Starting with burlesque and vaudeville, continuing with radio and TV broadcasts, and moving into non-traditional outlets like podcasts and Twitter, Nesteroff provides an engaging overview. He also offers biographies of both extremely well known (Abbott and Costello, Chris Rock) and lesser-known comics (including Frank Fay, the first to deliver a routine while standing in one place).

Why is it that some songs, singers, or videos just seem to strike a chord in listeners, like Adele's "Hello," or Pharrell's "Happy"? New Yorker writer John Seabrook travels the world to find out. Though he focuses on the American popular music scene, his explorations delve into chord progressions, camera angles, songwriting teams, and other hit-making aspects of the music industry.

Focus on: Football

Whether you're waiting to read Jeanne Marie Laskas' Concussion (or you've already seen the Will Smith movie based on it) or you're eager for The Game's Not Over: In Defense of Football by Gregg Easterbrook, the books below should give you something to read in the meantime.

Like journalists Stephan Fatsis (A Few Seconds of Panic), John Feinstein (Next Man Up), and George Plimpton (Paper Lion) before him, professional writer Nicholas Dawidoff somehow managed to join an NFL team, gaining the kind of access to players, coaches, and other staff that fans can only dream of. Unlike Fatsis and Plimpton, however, Dawidoff wasn't on the field. Rather, he got to examine "operations," including the scouting season and the trials and tribulations of the coaches, especially Jets head coach Rex Ryan.

For six years, Nate Jackson played for the Denver Broncos, sometimes as a tight end, sometimes as a wide receiver. He was never a household name, but considering that he came from a Division III school he was living the dream of many a football player. In his candid and often witty memoir (his writing skills got him gigs at Slate and The New York Times, among others), he shares the highs and lows of his time with the NFL.

In the 1970s, the Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowl trophies, as fans certainly know. How those teams were created and why they were so good are two of author Gary Pomerantz's focal points, but he also portrays those involved, whether players, coaches, or owners, and the bonds between them. Drawing on over 200 interviews, he also explores what has happened to the men in the years since, from Terry Bradshaw's career as a sports analyst to the many Steelers who have since died before reaching age 60.

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